Compartment for secretly marking ballots



(No Model.)

T. R. GRAHAM. GOMPARTMENT FOR SEGRETLY MARKING BALLOTS.

4 Patented Mar-.25. 1890.

y ZNVENTOR WITNESSES.-

A TTOk/VE y N. PEI'ERS, mlnlhlsognbbar, Wilhinglon. D. Q

' about midway between the bottom and top .of the slot.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEt THOMAS H. GRAHAM, OF KENTON, DELAWARE, ASSIGNOR TO NATHAN C. HORTON, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

COMPARTMENT FOR SECRETLY MARKING BALLOTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 424,416, dated March 25, 1890.

Application filed October 19, 1889.

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS R. GRAHAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kenton, in the county of Kent and State of Delaware, have invented new and useful Improvements in Compartments for Secretly Marking Ballots, of which the following is a specification.

Compartments used for secretly marking ballots, and notably those used in connection with what is known as the Australian system of voting, have been made by simply nailing the boards together, in which way a compartment is made which is cumbersome and generally has to be torn to pieces before it can be removed from the polling-room.

The object of my invention is to make a compartment of wood or other material, the parts of which will fold 011 hinges and which can be set up for use or taken down with ease and facility,and when closed compactly can be stored away in a small space. I attain these objects in the manner illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the compartment with its door partly open, and Fig. 2 is a detail view of a hook by which the sides of the compartment are held rigidly in position when the same is set up.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout both views.

A is the door, E one side, B and D the other side, and O the back, of the compartment. Door A is shown partly open, so as to give a View of shelf F within. Shelf F is hinged at N N to the back of the compartment. This shelf F has the same length that back 0 has width. At each end of shelf F, at the front corners, there is a hook H, rigidly fixed to the edge of shelf F.. In each of the sides B, D, and E and opposite each other there is a slot J, Fig. 2, having about the thickness of the hook part of 1-1 and about twice the length of the hook part of H.

I is an iron plate placed at right angles across the slot J and having its upper edge WVhen the sides B, D, and E are brought around into a position at right angles with back 0, as shown, the shelf F must be Serial No. 327,606. (No model.)

raised so that the hook H at each end of the shelf F will enter into the slot J in each of the sides B, D, and E. Then the hooks have entered into the slots, the shelf F will drop so that the shoulder of hook II will rest on the iron plate I. In this manner the shelf is fastened in a suitable position for writing upon it, and at the same time it keeps the sides B, D, and E rigid. Side E is hinged to one side of back 0, so that it folds around upon the rear of the back 0 in the manner indicated by the dotted line K. The door A is hinged on B, part of side B D, and folds around on B, as shown by the dotted line L. B, as well as being hinged to door A, is hinged to D- a strip about two inches wide. D, as well as being hinged to B, is hinged to back 0. When side E is folded around on back C and door A is folded around on B, door A and B, part of side B D together fold around on back 0, as indicated by the dotted line M. Shelf F, when loosened from the sides B, D, and E, drops downward on hinges N N and lies flat on back O. In this manner the compartment is compactly folded.

The object of the strip D is to allow the door A and B (part of side B D) to fold around on back 0 and lie over side E, which is already folded on rear of back O.

Door A, which has been described as folding outwardly on B, may, by changing the hinges, be made to fold inwardly on B. A bolt or other device may be used instead of hook II to serve the same purpose.

A small window may be inserted in the back 0 or in either side if more light is needed within the compartment. which door A is dispensed with may be made for the purpose described, the other parts of the compartment folding as shown above. The door A as well as being hinged to fold either outwardly or inwardly on side B D, may a similarly be hinged on side E, so as to fold either outwardly or inwardly on said side E.

\Vhat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. For secretly marking ballots, a portable compartment consisting of a combination of back 0, the folding side composed of the two parts B and D, the latter part D being A compartment in I Well as to part B, the folding side Eithe fold- [0 ing door A, and the folding shelf F, provided with devices for fastening it to the sides, all substantially as set forth.

THOS. R. GRAHAM.

\Vitnesses: ALF. H. FABER, GEORGE B. HYNSON. 

